


Through The Years

by MeteoriteOwl



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assassins, Assassins don't have friends: he says while making a friend, Banter, Can you kin your headcanon of a character?, Candy, Canon-Typical Behavior, Canon-Typical Violence, Daddy Issues, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up Together, Hisoka Being Hisoka (Hunter X Hunter), Hisoka Uses Pet Names, Hisoka and Illumi backstory, Hisoka is a Magician, Hisoka is a masochist and a sadist at the same time, Hisoka is slightly less creepy, Hisoka's Bungee Gum Nen Ability (Hunter X Hunter), Identity Issues, Illumi disaproves, Illumi doesn't know what flirting is, Illumi doesn't know what friendship is, Illumi focused, Illumi is always confused, Illumi is sassy, Illumi isn't as shitty of a brother in this, Illumi isn't transphobic in this, Light Angst, M/M, Manipulation, Mentioned Kikyo Zoldyck, Mentioned Silva Zoldyck, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck, Missing Scene, Mommy Issues, Murder, My comfort ship, Nen (Hunter X Hunter), Not all characters introduced at once, Partnership, Past Child Abuse, Phantom Troupe (Hunter x Hunter), Psychopaths In Love, Rated For Violence, Self-Indulgent, Slightly out of character at points?, Threats of Violence, Trauma, Updated weekly, how much sarcasm is too much sarcasm?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:28:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29971203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeteoriteOwl/pseuds/MeteoriteOwl
Summary: An Exploration Of Hisoka and Illumi's friendship, partnership, and relationship over 14 years. It starts when Illumi is 12 and Hisoka is 15.
Relationships: Alluka Zoldyck & Illumi Zoldyck, Alluka Zoldyck & Killua Zoldyck, Gon Freecs & Killua Zoldyck, Hisoka & Illumi Zoldyck, Hisoka & Kuroro Lucifer | Chrollo Lucifer, Hisoka & Machi, Hisoka/Illumi Zoldyck, Illumi Zoldyck & Kalluto Zoldyck, Illumi Zoldyck & Killua Zoldyck, Illumi Zoldyck & Milluki Zoldyck, Kuroro Lucifer | Chrollo Lucifer & Illumi Zoldyck
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first multichapter fic for this pairing and the first fic that I will be publishing for them! I hope you enjoy reading it! These two are so fun to write for me and are one of my biggest comfort ships, so I hope you enjoy! Most of the tags and characters won't come in until later. I plan on updating this weekly, every Wednesday.  
> Currently, I am looking for a Beta reader to edit my Hunter x Hunter stuff. This will certainly not be my last work for this fandom. Feedback is appreciated! 
> 
> I'm so glad that I finally got an AO3 account after years of lurking as a guest in the shadows. I hope you like this story! 
> 
> Sincerely - Ori

The mission was supposed to be easy, Illumi reminded himself. His father was babying him. He mentally scoffed. The guy he was supposed to be killing did not even have Nen. But, Illumi thought, that would only make things easier. Yes, he would be on his way home by sundown. 

Illumi crouched atop a roof in Yorknew City, perched across from a nightclub. He watched as the bouncer let in person after person, carefully working to check their IDs. There was no way Illumi could get inside. Even with his developing, pin-based, body alterations, Illumi could not pass as an adult over 21. He was only 12, after all. He could mimic other children pretty well, but he could not change how tall he was. Since this club was in a non-Nen district of the city, people would be horrified by his Gittarackur disguise. Thus, he was sitting in wait. He planned to stick his target with a needle and then have him wait out his lifespan. Sure, a quick kill would be easy, but Illumi did not want to deal with people noticing him. He brushed a strand of his shoulder-length dark hair out of his face. He had contemplated putting it up, but he chose not to, finding it more comfortable down. Plus, his mother liked it when he wore his hair long, and he wanted to please his mother. 

Illumi was so focused on watching and waiting that he almost did not notice the presence behind him. Almost. He swiftly readied a pin, holding it in warning, ready to kill his stalker instantly if need be. 

“State your purpose,” he asked the form behind him. The other person was not there to kill him since he was not using any techniques to mask his Nen. Instead, his Nen was on full display, making the rooftop nearly suffocating. It was almost as strong as Illumi's own, though untrained, as though this person had learned how to use it without training.

“Oh…” The person behind him purred out softly, “Aren’t you interesting.” Illumi threw the pin that he was holding. His voice made Illumi uncomfortable. Illumi hated being uncomfortable if it did not serve a purpose. The teen dodged the needle far too easily than he would have liked. The mystery teen clicked his tongue. “You didn’t think you could take me out that easily, did you, doll?”

Internally, Illumi growled. The pet name struck something inside of him, making his mind cloud over in a bizarre amount of rage. Rage? Anger? Uncharacteristic. Illumi was never angry. The fact that this teen made him mad was unacceptable. He wanted to kill him on the spot. 

“State your purpose,” he repeated as he stopped concealing his Nen, his dark purple aura spreading out around him forcefully.

“I knew it,” The teen said with a wicked grin, ignoring the question entirely. Who did this teen think that he was? Who gave him the right to ignore what Illumi was asking? For the first time, Illumi looked the teen up and down. His hair was down around his face in long bangs, colored unnaturally in pink and purple. He wore quite possibly the ugliest outfit that Illumi had ever seen. The teen wore a neon pink tracksuit, tall purple socks, and a T-shirt that he clearly had sewn himself since the stitching on the hideously colored shirt was so incredibly messy. He wore a diamond and a heart, drawn onto his cheeks in crewed face paint. Seriously, who did this kid think he was? 

Fine, Illumi thought. He would play along with the strange game. 

“Knew what?” He asked. The teen’s eyes lit up with a mischievous gleam. 

“I got you to respond,” he smirked. Illumi blinked his large, colorless eyes at the teen. “I broke through your programming!” The teen exclaimed energetically. “I’ve won!” He clapped his hands, jumping up and down. 

“I am not a robot. I do not have programming,” Illumi stated in a manner that was so eerily robotic that the teen could not help but laugh. 

“I am not a robot. I do not have programming,” The teen mimicked back, moving his hands up and down in a robotic-like dance, making his rich voice sound metallic. Illumi changed his mind. Dying was too merciful for this teen. He deserved to suffer. Illumi kept his musings in his head. 

“State your purpose,” he asked for the third time, his patience wearing thin. This teen kept him from his target; this teen interfered. Illumi should kill him. Why had he not killed him yet? The teen spoke again.

“State your purpose, state your purpose. You sound like a broken record,” As the teen spoke, he moved over to the edge of the roof, laying down atop the parapet, all too comfortably. “Would you believe I don’t have one?” He rolled over, looking oddly catlike. 

“No,” Illumi stated. This teen was here for a reason. He had motivation. What was his goal? 

“Hm,” the teen hummed. “Of course not. Because no one can be truly neutral. They have to have something they’re here for.” The teen chastised his ideas. Illumi stared at him intensely. “Very well…” The teen continued. “Guess. Guess my purpose.” His tone was teasing. Illumi did not like it. 

“You’re here to distract me so my target can escape,” Illumi stated as though it was a fact. 

“Wrong,” the teen responded, the playful glint appearing in his eyes again. 

“You’re here to kill me,” another fact. 

“Wrong,” the teen smirked again. 

“You want to hire me,” Ilumi was unsure why the teen was coming to him and not his father, maybe because they were the same around the same age, with the teen being around three years older.

“Wrong again,” the teen stood and walked closer to Illumi. He reached out a hand to place it on Illumi's cheek. Illumi grasped his wrist before he reached him. He did not need to tell the teen off. The clownish kid got his message. He knew that Illumi could snap his arm in two without even trying. He did not seem to care. Casually, he tapped Illumi’s hand with his other arm, signaling that he wished to let him go. The teen thought this was a game? A sparring match? Illumi was further infuriated. Yet, for some reason, he let the teen go. 

“You’re not as good as me,” The teen mused with a smirk. Illumi found that highly unlikely. However, the teen had not finished talking. “You’re not using Gyo.” Illumi all but gasped as he shifted his aura to his eyes. However, he was too slow, and he found himself lifted by his hand into the air. Without thinking, he reached up to try to unhook his hand, but his other hand got stuck as well. He was left there, dangling like a fish for the clownish teen to laugh at him. Strands of pinkish aura stretched from his hands to the parapet where the teen had been lying. They also connected to the telephone wire on the roof. When had the teen touched that? “We’re going to have a chat,” his golden eyes glistened in the moonlight, and Illumi knew that he was screwed. 

The question the teen asked was not what Illumi was expecting. “You want to hear about my Nen?” Illumi, still dangling from a thread of the Nen, cocked his head to the side. 

“Sure?” He asked. He did not like how unsure his voice sounded. 

“It’s wonderful! Isn’t it? I call it elastic love,” His voice was thick, making Illumi shutter. “However, I’ve nicknamed it Bungee Gum.” His eyes showed as though he had just said a funny joke. Illumi did not understand. 

“Nothing?” The teen asked. “Not even a chuckle? I’ve named my power after the chewing gum company. That has to be a little bit funny to you?” Illumi shook his head. 

“I’ve never heard of it,” The clownish teen scoffed. 

“Wow, doll, you are naive, aren’t you?” Illumi shook his head at the question. 

“I am not naive. I simply have never needed candy.” The teen rolled his eyes. 

“When we’re friends. You’ll have candy.” 

“Assassins don’t have friends,” Illumi insisted. 

“Fine then, partners. We can work together. You need more training if you can’t beat me yet.” Illumi did not answer that statement; it was neither correct nor incorrect. The teen continued talking. “With me as your partner, we can take over the world, or we could burn it to the ground. We could overthrow the Hunter organization and rein anarchy; or a dictatorship. We could do anything, my sweet doll. We’re only kids but we’re strong. Don’t worry, Doll, I’ll tell you how my powers work. I know you’re curious. Bungee Gum has the properties of both rubber and gum. It is sticky and stretchy. It can stick to anything and is invisible to those who don't have the experience, such as yourself.” The teen rambled on and on. Illumi snapped. 

“Please be quiet, I can’t even hear myself losing the will to live.” 

“Wow, doll, you’re sassier than I thought you’d be.” 

“Call me doll one more time, and so help me when I break out of here, I will rip your throat out,” Illumi was beyond niceties at this point. This teen dared to go into his work, make him fail at a job, and propose friendship of all things. Friendship!? That was absurd on all levels to the assassin. However, the teen simply stalked closer to the one he had trapped. 

“Is that a promise?” he asked, smirking. 

“I detest you.” 

“I know, that’s what makes toying with you half the fun.” Illumi blinked at the teen. How was he so unafraid? Illumi should strike fear into the hearts of all who see him. But this teen looked at him without a care in the world. The teen was still smirking, but he leaned back on his heels and turned away from Illumi. The assassin could tell that he still was on high alert to any movement he would make. 

“Fine, if you won’t let me call you doll then you have to give me something to call you. At least tell me your name.” 

“You know my name,” Illumi insisted, still sure that this teen must have a reason for messing with him. 

“I do not, that’s why I asked. I simply sensed the strong presence of Nen on this rooftop and decided to see if I could pick a fight with someone. I didn’t think that someone would be so beautiful.” Illumi could practically see the smirk, the mischievous glimmer of his eyes as he said that. Was this flirting? Illumi could not tell. 

“You’re a liar,” he stated.

“Obviously. I’m a magician, all we do is lie. But I’m not lying about this, and I won’t lie to you, my dear.” 

“The previous statement about dolls applies to all pet names.” 

“You’re no fun,” the magician mused. Still, he turned on his heel to face Illumi. “Yet, you’re incredibly fun at the same time. Little assassin you’re an enigma, and I adore that. I haven’t had a toy this fun in a long time.” His voice was gleeful, but his words were psychopathic. Luckily, Illumi was also a psychopath. The saying is, it takes one to know one. Well, Illumi was one, and he was getting to know one. 

“I am no one’s toy,” the assassin countered. 

“No silly, toys are what I call my acquaintances, friends, enemies, and companions. You’ll remain a toy so long as you’re of use to me. Once you’re not useful, you’re as good as dead.” The teen pulled a strangely sharp playing card from his pocket and pulled Illumi by his Nen, so he was slightly closer to the ground. The strange teen then pressed the tip of the card to Illumi’s throat. The assassin kept a straight face, unafraid though trying to hide his intrigue. “Don’t worry, though. I can’t see you losing your usefulness any time soon.” The smirk returned. The assassin grunted and turned his head away to stop looking at the unnatural gold eyes. “Now tell me, what is the name of my new toy.” Illumi sighed. 

“I’m sure you already know. I’m sure this is all a distraction so that my target escapes. But I’ll humor you. Illumi. Illumi Zoldyck. That’s my name.” 

“A beautiful name for a beautiful boy.” 

Illumi cringed at the words. He did not have time for this, he thought. “I’ve given you my name. Now you should give me yours.” 

“Hisoka,” the teen answered quickly. “Hisoka Morow at your service.” 

“It doesn’t believe that you’re here to serve me,” Illumi bit back, wiggling in the Nen binding slightly to prove his point.

“Hm… I suppose that’s correct. But if I cut you down then you’ll attack me. And as fun as that seems,” Hisoka emphasized the word fun, “I don’t want to fight you just yet. I’d much rather work with you.” There was that offer again. 

“Work with me?” Illumi asked. 

“Yes, work,” Hisoka smirked. “I did cost you your target, didn’t I?” Illumi blinked at the teen. 

“Finding him again won’t be hard.” 

“Let me help you,” the magician insisted. “We can work twice as fast together.” He suddenly snapped his fingers, and the Nen around Illumi released leaving Illumi falling a solid 10 feet. Like a cat, Illumi landed on his feet and glared at the imp-like kid. Hisoka smirked at him, eyes glistening with an emotion Illumi could not register. “How about this, if you don’t enjoy yourself, I’ll let you kill me.”

“I’d rather kill you now,” Ilumi stated plainly. 

“Oh, I’m sure, but admit it Illu, you think this will be fun.” Illumi raised a pin to Hisoka’s neck.  
“I said no more pet names.” 

“It’s not a pet name, it’s a nickname. They’re different.” 

“Fine,” his response was curt as always. It took Hisoka a few seconds to realize that the assassin had responded to his offer to assist him. The magician jumped in joy. 

“Oh Illu! I’m sure this is the start of a glorious friendship.” 

Assassins do not have friends, the phrase was on the tip of his tongue, but he did not say it. Instead, he shook Hisoka's hand and agreed to meet back on that roof the next day. Little did the young assassin know with whom he had just involved himself. 

♣️♦️♥️♠

Illumi was not quite sure what drove him to return to that rooftop the next day. Maybe it was masochism. Perhaps it was pure morbid curiosity. But yet, he stood there, still wearing the silk kimono that his mother insisted that he did. Maybe that is why Hisoka had called him a doll. His appearance was indeed doll-like. His skin looked like porcelain. Well, it looked like that on the parts that he was allowed to show. The Zoldyck family torture routine had left the rest of his body mangled with scars. 

Illumi stood atop the roof in wait. He was alert and prepared. The magician would never catch him off guard again. Illumi had even used En to detect if someone arrived at the roof. He stood there, prepared to battle, even though he was meeting his friend. Friend? He would not call Hisoka a friend. Acquaintance maybe, an associate at most. The clownish teen was hardly someone who Illumi could ever call a friend. 

A form entered his En. He turned to face the other figure, who had once again approached him from behind. 

“You seem ready, for what I’m not sure. Are you here to kill me, Illu? Your aura says that’s the case.” The words were rich like honey, as though the thought of fighting Illumi to the death made him happy. Happy? Illumi had never met someone like this, someone so willing to die to prove a point that he had yet to articulate. 

Illumi shook his head; he was not going to kill the magician, not now, at least. 

“Good,” Hisoka walked closer to the assassin. “That wasn’t our deal. I work with you, then, if you’re not satisfied, you kill me.” Illumi nodded in agreement. “You know, I did some research on your family. You’re pretty famous in the assassin world. You’re called the best of the best.” 

“I know that,” Illumi stated. 

“I can’t tell if you are always this sassy or if you are just so clueless to social cues that you respond candidly.” 

“I’m sassy,” Illumi responded, suppressing the urge to smile. 

“Oh Illu this is going to be fun!” 

“For you, maybe,” Illumi bit back. The magician laughed. 

“I promise, it will be fun for you too.” Hisoka walked over to the edge of the roof, leaning dangerously over the ledge. “Who are we looking for anyway? Who’s your target?” 

“Some mafia boss. My father gives me my targets. Normally, I kill them quickly and don’t bother learning names.” 

“That’s no fun at all!” Hisoka exclaimed with a pout. “Wouldn’t you like to, I don’t know, toy with them a bit?” Illumi blinked at the taller kid. 

“No,” he stated plainly. 

“Boring,” Hisoka warned. 

“I don’t like you telling me what I am. You call me sassy. You call me beautiful. You call me boring. I don’t like it. You paint a strange picture of me.” Illumi was not sure what prompted the outburst. His voice was still monotone as usual, and his eyes were as lifeless as they had always been, but in his mind, he was screaming. Hisoka simply smirked. 

“You’re still hung up on the beautiful thing?” Hesitantly, Illumi nodded. “Well, Illu, you are beautiful. I won’t retract that statement. Everything else I said about you is true as well. If I’m painting a strange picture of you, then you are simply a strange person.”

Was he genuine? So much of what Hisoka said was in jest that Illumi could not tell if he was serious. The magician, who was still leaning over the balcony, turned to face Illumi and asked to see a photo of his target. The assassin complied, bringing up the file on his phone that his father had made for him. Hisoka hummed as he read, singing a tune that Illumi could not place all too gleefully. Then, he looked up from the phone swiftly and out over the rooftop. 

“Look!” the magician exclaimed. “There he is!” Illumi eyed where the magician was pointing, and sure enough, his target had just walked out of the club.  
“I didn’t need you to tell me that,” Illumi remarked, but the teen was not paying attention. Instead, he jumped from the rooftop to snake his way through the crowd and stand behind the man. Illumi’s heightened senses picked up what he was saying to the target. 

“You’re as good as dead. So, unless you want everyone you know dead as well, you should walk with me,” the magician whispered. Illumi all but chuckled. The teen did have a flair for the dramatic. Hisoka led the man down a dark alleyway next to the building that Illumi was standing on. Once the man was in the alley, Hisoka tapped his shoulder; Illumi noticed that he attached Bungee Gum to the man. The magician jumped onto the roof, yanking the man by his Nen up to join the duo. 

“Was that necessary?” Illumi asked. 

“Of course,” Hisoka insisted. “Would you like to do the honors? Or should I?” Bloodlust glistened in the magician’s eyes, and Illumi could not help relating to the primal emotion. 

“You can. I would like to see how you do it. Of course, I will tell my father I killed him, for simplicity's sake.” The magician nodded and quickly killed the man, slicing into his throat with one of the sharp playing cards. Blood splattered everywhere, much more than Illumi was used to in his kills. “Messy,” Illumi remarked. 

“Fun,” The magician countered. He turned to grin at Illumi. “So, have I served my purpose? Am I no longer useful? Are you gonna kill me?” His tone was sing-songy, and he swayed back and forth as though contemplating a waltz. Illumi shook his head. 

“You can live,” he stated with a small pout. The magician clapped. 

“Oh, joy! Illu you truly are something special.” Illumi just blinked at him. “I should get going and let you return home. I already held you up one extra day.” Illumi nodded in agreement. However, Hisoka had not finished talking. “Unless that is if you want to stay for a bit.” 

“I do not,” Illumi stated. “Goodbye, Hisoka.” And with that, Illumi left the rooftop, disappearing into the dark of night.


	2. The Candy Store

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring excessive candy eating, Illumi having an identity crisis, and Hisoka being obsessed with Bungee Gum, like the literal Bungee Gum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Heathers reference at the beginning of the chapter was unintentional. Was this chapter a chance for me to play with a setting concept? Yes, yes it was. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!   
> See you next Wednesday!   
> Xoxo   
> Ori

It was another year until Illumi saw Hisoka again. He was once again sitting on a rooftop in Yorknew City. He had just finished a job and was thinking about going back to the mansion. However, a part of him did not want to leave the city. He thought of Killua, his new younger brother who had been born with white hair, the sign of the Zoldyck heir. Killua gave His life meaning but also made it meaningless. He would never be as good of an assassin. He would never make his father as proud. Already, Killua had replaced Illumi in the eyes of his family. Illumi, the eldest, the disappointment. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts by someone landing on the roof behind him. 

“Is that you, Illu?” a voice that he instantly recognized asked. 

“It’s me,” Illumi responded. 

“I thought so,” the magician said with a tone that sounded equally relieved and concerned. “What brings you to the beautiful Yorknew City?” 

“I had a job,” Illumi stated in his same monotone voice. 

“Had?” Illumi realized that Hisoka must have known that he would have left the city the second he finished his job. The fact that he was still there was an anomaly, and Hisoka could tell. 

“Yes, had,” Illumi was not in the mood to chat that night. Still, he internally smiled in the presence of the magician. 

“Could you not get a blimp?” Hisoka pestered. 

“Do you not want me here?” Illumi snapped. 

“Oh, Illumi, I always want you here. But why you are here perplexes me so.” 

“I just did not feel like going home,” Illumi stated plainly. He was always painfully honest, so he cringed internally at his openness. 

“I see,” Hisoka responded. “You feel unwanted then?” 

“How did you know that?” Illumi asked. 

“Easy, you do not want to be home, and you wonder if I do not want you here. I want you here. You can tell that. So, you are worried about something at home.”

“You know too much,” Ilumi said with a groan.

“You are just easy to read,” Hisoka countered. 

“I should not be.” 

“Well, you are.” The magician walked closer to Illumi and wrapped his arm around the assassin’s waist. The gesture was an act of comfort, but it also tested boundaries. Hisoka was testing how far he could push Illumi before he snapped. Illumi noted this, but he was too emotionally tired to shove him away. Instead, he played along and did not resist the touch. 

“If you attach Bungee Gum to me, I will kill you,” Illumi threatened him, but his words had no bite. 

“Is that a promise?” Hisoka teased. Illumi simply groaned in response and pressed his nose into Hisoka’s side. Hisoka chuckled at the action. Illumi understood that his actions were uncharacteristic, but he did not care. Hisoka spoke again.

“You’re 13 now, right Illu?” Illumi mumbled a yes. “Is this your idea of teenage rebellion?” Illumi shook his head and wrapped his arms around Hisoka, hugging him fully. The assassin was not sure what was driving him to act like this. Maybe it was that he felt neglected at home. Maybe his mother had not stroked his long hair and called him pretty in almost a year. Maybe, he was just so surprised that the magician had hugged him without any mal intentions. He did not know, though he very much cared. Hugging another person was a violation of his training. Yet, he did not care. Hisoka continued talking. “I like the long hair, it looks nice on you.” 

“Mother likes it long,” Illumi muttered. 

“Hm. And the Kimono?” Hisoka asked. 

“Mother likes it too.” 

“Do you?” Why was the magician being so gentle with him? Illumi wanted to break out of the embrace they had found themselves in and stick a pin in the other teen’s neck and watch him bleed out. But he did not. Instead, he just shook his head and held Hisoka closer. “You don’t?” 

“It’s impractical,” Illumi stated. 

“Oh sure,” the magician teased. “Impractical, and for no other reason than that.” 

“Stop,” Illumi commanded. 

“Stop?” Hisoka parroted. “Stop what?” 

“Stop treating me like I’m a child.” Hisoka let go of Illumi, pushing him away slightly. He pressed his palm to the top of Illumi’s head. 

“I’m not treating you like a child. I’m treating you like a human being and not a machine.” Illumi blinked up at him. “I’m asking you, Illumi, what would you like to do today?” Illumi turned out to face the buildings, now coated in the glowing light of dawn as the sun rose over a city that was coming awake.   
“I don’t know anything to do,” he muttered, turning to see the older teen looking out at the sunrise too. The magician’s hair seemed to glisten in the golden hue of the rising sun. His hair was the same length as it had been before, likely Hisoka kept it tidy. However, it was dyed a more red color. Purple tips were replaced with a fiery red dye. His outfit had improved slightly. The tracksuit now was a less odious color, and his shirt looked as though the fabric had been printed onto it. Illumi was impressed by how much the other boy’s appearance had improved. Hisoka interrupted his staring.

“If you do not know anything to do, then you can spend the day with me. I know a few places that I think you may enjoy.” 

“Okay,” Illumi agreed. “I will follow your lead.” The magician grinned at him, before leaping off of the roof and into the alleyway below. Illumi followed quickly. “Where will we be going?” He inquired. 

“Just trust me, okay?” Hisoka smirked back at the assassin. 

“I do not trust you,” Illumi stated plainly. 

“Of course you don’t. I don’t trust me either. But some things you should trust me on. Like this, and when I say it will be fun.” 

“You think murder is fun.”

“And?” Hisoka raised an eyebrow at the assassin. “So do you.” 

“I don’t find it fun. It’s work.” Hisoka rolled his eyes. 

“Of course,” he scoffed. Illumi did not quite understand the meaning of his words. Why did Hisoka not believe that he did not enjoy his job? The magician was an enigma if he had ever seen one, so open yet incredibly closed off. He allowed Illumi to relax, but he also made Illumi so uncomfortable. Once again, the magician interrupted his thoughts by grabbing onto Illumi’s hand slightly. Illumi blinked in confusion. Why was he taking his hand? Hisoka must have noticed his confusion. “I don’t want to lose you in the crowds.” 

With a sharp tug to his hand, they were off, running through the city rapidly. They were in a non-Nen district, but Illumi could tell that many shopkeepers were using Nen to make their products seem more special than they were. He found himself somewhat disgusted by their greed while still being impressed by their trickery. 

“Where are we going?” He asked as he and the magician swerved through the bustling streets. 

“To my favorite store of all time,” Hisoka responded. Illumi nodded, though the action was hard to complete since he and Hisoka were running at such a fast speed. Illumi felt himself nearly trip over his own feet as the magician skidded to a halt. “We’re here!” He exclaimed, letting go of Illumi’s hand to point up at the sign at the top of the shop. CANDY EMPORIUM, the name read. Illumi blinked at the sign and then at Hisoka. 

“You thought that I would enjoy this?” Illumi questioned. 

“You had mentioned that you had never had candy. I thought that I would let you try it.” 

“I thought that spending time with you would involve less shopping and more murder,” Illumi mused. Hisoka laughed and shook his head. 

“I could have expected the same thing out of you, Zoldyck.” Illumi nodded, understanding where the magician would get the assumption from. 

“Very well, I would like to see what candy is like, lead the way.” 

Hisoka grinned, grabbing Illumi’s hand again and practically dragging him into the candy store. Inside the store, his senses were on high alert. He found himself surprised by the brightly colored candy and lights that danced around the space. This place certainly looked like somewhere Hisoka would enjoy spending time. Barrels upon barrels of candy lined the hallways of linoleum tiled floors. Upon entering the store, Hisoka let go of his hand and darted off down an aisle. Illumi found himself wandering after the teen, stealing glimpses at different kinds of candy. Though, none of them struck his appeal. Towards the end of an aisle, Hisoka was stuffing ribbons upon ribbons of red licorice into his pockets. 

“You shouldn’t steal,” Ilumi remarked. The magician raised an eyebrow. 

“Since when do you care about what’s right and wrong? The last time we hung out, we killed a man together.” Hisoka dropped his voice into a whisper for the last part of the statement, but, his eyes glistened with rich emotion that Illumi recalled was glee. 

“That was for work,” Illumi remarked, “Not fun.” 

“Illumi, I’m broke. I’m trying to make ends meet. I have to feed my sugar addiction somehow.” Illumi couldn't tell if the magician was joking or not. He shook his head and reached into the magician’s pockets, grabbing for the licorice, taffy, and other sweets that he had shoved into them. 

“I will pay for them. I have money,” he stated simply. 

“Well if you’re paying then I can’t have you treat me! This is the day where I show you all the stuff I like! We’ll each get three kinds of candy and then split them. Sound fair?” Hisoka was oddly serious in his sentiments. Illumi agreed. The magician reached out and snatched the licorice back from Illumi. “I’ll get these, some saltwater taffy, and a pack of Bungee Gum. Do you have flavor preferences for taffy?” 

“I have none. You may select.” Illumi honestly had no idea what taffy tasted like, so he would have no clue what kind he would enjoy. Hisoka had already skipped off to find some other type of candy, so Illumi was left alone wandering in the store. The bright colors made his eyes hurt slightly, but he was intrigued nonetheless. At the end of one aisle, he found a tree that seemed to be made of needles? No, they couldn’t be needles. They were in a candy store, after all. They must have been some kind of candy. He reached out to grasp one but the part that looked like a pin. Sure enough, the thing was not made of metal like his needles. It was a kind of paper. Atop of the paper stick was a candy orb. He selected a yellow one off the tree since it reminded him the most of his manipulator pins. He moved through the store, seeing a section labeled “Extremely Sour!” A part of him was curious about how sour the candy would be. He grasped a handful of something with a picture of a lemon on fire on it. 

His mind drifted back to Hisoka, and he wondered if he should be getting candy that the magician would like. After all, the two of them would be sharing it. That was a strange thought. Illumi was not used to sharing things with others. He had no friends; he reminded himself. He had no reason to share anything with anyone. However, the thought of sharing something with the clownish teen made him feel slightly fuzzy inside. Perhaps he was nervous. Or he feared being poisoned. It was not like being poisoned would hurt him. It was just a worry. 

He found himself wandering to an area with a different smell than the other part of the candy store. It smelt like baked goods, something that Illumi only had on rare occasions. He found something called funnel cake sitting atop a heated shelf. He grasped the pastry with his hand, leading a store attendant to rush over to him. 

“Kid! Are you okay? That is really hot! You should put it in this bag until it cools down!” The attendant exclaimed, staring shocked at Illumi as the assassin held it in his hand as though it was nothing. The pastry was scalding hot? Illumi just blinked at the attendant and stated,   
“I’m fine.” He accepted the bag that the man was holding and placed the pastry inside, not because it was burning him; but because it was getting sugar on his hands. Illumi walked away from the shop worker, ready to find Hisoka. The pop music playing on the radio gave him a headache, and the lights and smells of the store were making him overwhelmed. He found Hisoka waiting by the checkout counter, waiting for Illumi to pay for them. Illumi used his credit card, something he received when he went on missions, to purchase all of the candy. Hisoka grinned at him. 

“Did you find anything good?” 

“I do not know,” Illumi replied. In truth, he didn’t know. He had no grasp of what was good or not when it came to sweet things. “May we go back to the roof?” He asked. 

“Of course, if that’s what you want,” the magician responded. The second they exited the shop, Illumi leaped onto the roof to dart away from the crowds. Hisoka was right behind him. The two raced across the rooftops to the one they had first met. Upon arriving, Hisoka opened the bag of candy and stared at what Illumi had gotten. 

“Extreme sour jawbreakers, a banana lollipop, and funnel cake? A strange combination you have here.” 

“Is it abnormal?” Illumi asked, tilting his head slightly to see what the magician had. Hisoka had selected several taffies, the majority in a yellow-green or pink color. He had also purchased the licorice and had, as promised, a pack of Bungee Gum. 

“I suppose not, but it is certainly interesting. You’ll have to eat the funnel cake first before it gets cold.” Hisoka grasped the pastry and ripped it in half, handing one half to Ilumi. The assassin took a bite of the sweet. His tongue felt fuzzy, as though he had consumed something that he was not supposed to. He found himself marveling about the odd texture. It was like bread but incredibly sweet. The glaze of power sugar across the top made his fingers oily and sticky at the same time. He pouted as he contemplated a way to clean his hands. 

“My hands are sticky now,” he remarked, stating the obvious. Hisoka smirked, his eyes narrowed to slits in glee.

“Illu, if you would like, I could clean them for you.” As he said so, he licked the icing off of his lips, looking at Illumi suggestively. Illumi frowned more than he was before. 

“Please don’t.” To show his disgust, he grasped the bag that the candy had been in and whipped the sugar off onto it. Hisoka frowned as well. 

“You’re no fun,” he cautioned again. 

“I don’t need to be fun,” Illumi countered. Hisoka rolled his eyes. 

“So serious, always.” The magician’s eyes lit up as he finished the last of his section of the pastry. “Anyway! Try the jawbreakers!” His turn was excited and urgent, more gleeful than Illumi had seen him before. He rocked back and forth slightly, tapping his thighs in excitement. Illumi reached for the candy, taking a small round orb out of the package. 

“Jawbreaker?” he questioned, confirming that this was the candy that the magician was referring to. When Hisoka energetically nodded, Illumi stuck the candy into his mouth and bit down with a loud crunch. Hisoka’s gleeful grin instantly disappeared. 

“You’re not supposed to bite them!” He exclaimed, eyes looking worried and tone slightly scared. 

“It said it was a jawbreaker,” Illumi countered. “I have broken my jaw before. I was curious to see if the candy would live up to its name. It did not. My jaw is not broken,” he stopped speaking midword, and his face contorted in a pained expression. Hisoka burst out laughing. 

“They won’t break your jaw silly! They’re way too sour not to suck on. You got all the flavor at once!” Illumi’s sense of taste was overwhelmed. He had just dealt with the gooey sweetness of the funnel cake, and now he was enduring the pain of eating an extremely sour jawbreaker. Of course, the candy was not too much for Illumi. He had gone through far more rigorous torture. Still, he found himself struggling to keep a straight face from the flavor. Hisoka laughed, his laugh deeper in tone than Illumi anticipated. It was oddly melodic. If only it was not at Illumi’s expense. Illumi wanted to speak, to at least talk back to the magician, but he found that the sour flavor made his lips feel sealed shut. This kind of sensation was entirely new for him. His body was reacting without the will of his mind. As Illumi suffered, Hisoka continued to laugh, to the point where he was almost wheezing. Illumi could not speak, so he quickly grabbed a pin, tossing it weakly at Hisoka to get the older teen to shut up. Hisoka chuckled and caught the needle without a struggle.

“Okay Illu, I’ll stop. But you just look so concerned it’s funny,” The laughter died down, and Hisoka smiled at the assassin. Illumi pouted even more than he had been. Eventually, the flavor subsided. 

“I do not see the appeal of this kind of candy,” He stated simply. 

“Well, you ate it wrong,” Hisoka remarked. 

“There were no instructions.” Hisoka snorted a laugh.

“You’re funnier than you were before. And sassier.” Illumi glared at the magician. Hisoka continued speaking, changing the subject. “Do you want to try the lollipop? I promise it won’t be as sour.” Hesitantly, Illumi nodded and grasped the candy. He peeled off the wrapper and moved to bite on the lollipop.   
“Wait!” Hisoka exclaimed. “Don’t bite it. You lick it or suck on it. Biting it doesn’t make it last.” Illumi raised an eyebrow and stuck out his tongue to lick the candy. Hisoka watched him with a more intense gaze than he would have liked. The candy did taste better than the jawbreaker, a sweet flavor.   
“Did you say this was supposed to be banana?” Illumi asked. Hisoka nodded. “It does not taste like a banana.”

“Most candy doesn’t taste like what it is supposed to,” Hisoka dismissed. Illumi put the lollipop into his mouth and enjoyed the refreshing sweetness of it. He watched as Hisoka grasped one of the pink taffy, unwrapped it, and tossed the candy into his mouth. Contently, the magician leaned back onto his elbows and fixed Illumi with his intense golden gaze. The assassin stared blankly back at Hisoka, his expression equally fervent. Was this what friends did? Illumi thought to himself. Relax on rooftops and eat candy? Illumi pushed away from the notion. He was killing time, that was all. Hisoka had offered to spend time with him to take his mind off of his home life, that was all. 

“So,” Hisoka started, still chewing on the taffy and looking into Illumi’s eyes. “Do you want to talk about what’s eating you?” 

Illumi raised an eyebrow at the magician. “I thought we already addressed that?” He questioned. 

“I confirmed that you felt unwanted. I haven’t the foggiest idea why.” Illumi sighed and brushed his hair out of his eyes, and met Hisoka’s gaze again.   
“It’s not the biggest of deals. I have a new brother.” Not the biggest of deals, Illumi scoffed internally at his wording. Killua was the biggest thing in Illumi’s life at the moment. He would always be the most significant thing in Illumi’s life, Illumi could tell. 

“Oh,” Hisoka stated strangely plainly. “Why is that a bad thing?” 

“It is not a bad thing,” Illumi remarked. Of course, it was not a bad thing. His life had a purpose, a meaning. He always had known this would be how his life would play out, but he had not anticipated that it would have started so soon. He did not feel like Illumi Zoldyck anymore. He was the man responsible for raising and training the Zoldyck heir. He was a tool, like the rest of his family. Hisoka interrupted his musings. 

“You say that, but your face tells a different story. Your brow is all furrowed. Why are you thinking so much?” 

“I feel like my life will no longer be my own,” He answered without really thinking. 

“That was candid of you?” Hisoka remarked, raising an eyebrow.

“I suppose, I do not see a reason to lie. My emotions are not a secret.” Hisoka hummed slightly. 

“You’re different than I thought you’d be.”

“How so?” Illumi was intrigued by Hisoka’s words. Had the magician heard of him before they had met a year ago. Were his suspicions correct? 

“When I met you on the roof, you had such a strong presence. Yet, you seem docile. It’s bizarre. Your aura and your personality contradict each other.  
Even the way you speak is surprising. You’re soft-voiced. I would expect you to be as boisterous as your Nen.” Hisoka’s words were laced with a meaning that Illumi could not grasp. Yet still, he nodded. 

“I have never felt the need to be very loud,” he stated simply. Suddenly he blinked in surprise, finding that the lollipop had disappeared completely from his mouth. Hisoka chuckled. 

“You finished it without even realizing?” His eyes squinted in amusement. Illumi licked his teeth, feeling a coating of sugar across them. 

“It was decent,” he remarked. Hisoka smiled. 

“Do you want to try anything else?” He offered, handing Illumi one of the lime green taffies. 

“I don’t know,” he stated, still taking the taffy and tossing it into his mouth. The flavor was similar to jawbreaker but milder, as though the sour had been removed, and left with a dull tang. 

Hisoka must have noticed Illumi’s confusion. “Lemon-lime,” he remarked. “I thought you would enjoy them.” 

“I do,” Illumi responded. “The texture is strange but it is not a bad flavor.” When Illumi finished the taffy, Hisoka was munching on a licorice stick.

“It’s official,” Hisoka stated. “You’ve tried everything aside from these and the Bungee Gum.” Illumi nodded. 

“I will try the licorice. The gum concerns me.” Hisoka raised an eyebrow. 

“Concerns you? It’s gum. There should not be anything concerned about it.” 

“The concerning thing is that you enjoy it so much,” Illumi remarked. The magician chuckled. 

“I’ll give you that, though once you try it, you will see why.” 

“Fine, though I will have the licorice first,” Illumi conceded and snatched a piece of the string-like candy from where it was sitting. He watched as Hisoka’s eyes followed his movement intently. He grasped the far end of the licorice and placed the closer side to his lips. He bit down swiftly, moving up the string of licorice in multiple rapid bites. Hisoka’s golden eyes rounded in intrigue and perhaps fear. 

“Why do you eat it like that?” He inquired. 

“It’s more efficient.” 

“Ah, of course. Efficiency.” Hisoka chuckled and fished another piece of gum from the gum package. “You’ve tried the licorice! Now try the gum, please.” Illumi nodded and grasped the gum from the magician. Hisoka rocked back and forth on his hands eagerly. 

“Very well,” Illumi stated, placing the piece of gum into his mouth. He frowned. “It’s sticky. I do not see why you enjoy it so much.” Hisoka frowned as well. 

“That was anticlimactic,” he noted. “I thought you would enjoy it.” 

“I am not you. I do not enjoy the same things you do.” Hisoka seemed to have understood. 

“You should go home,” he stated. 

“Because I do not enjoy Bungee Gum?” Illumi asked, half teasing, half anxious. 

“No, because I’m sure your family is worried about you. That’s what families do, isn’t it?” 

“They know where I am. They will be angry when I return home. I am deliberately disobeying orders.”

“All the more reason to go home,” Hisoka countered. “I’m sure they’ll be even angrier at you if they realize you’re here with me. You’re not supposed to have friends, remember?” 

“We are not friends,” Illumi stated quickly. 

“Tell yourself whatever you need to,” Hisoka said, rolling his eyes. A moment of panic crossed Illumi’s face. 

“Maybe I should go home.” He stood swiftly, brushing off his Kimono and pulling out his phone to call for blimp tickets. He paused and turned to Hisoka. “Do you have a phone?” He asked the magician. 

“No,” Hisoka said, uncharacteristically unresponsive. 

“Will I see you again?” Illumi asked. 

“If you’re in Yorknew, I’ll find you.” 

Illumi blinked. “Okay. Farewell, Hisoka.” He pressed his phone to his ear and pressed dial to the airport. He left Hisoka standing on the rooftop, purchasing a ticket for the soonest flight back to Kukuroo Mountain.


End file.
